GlobeSt.com UPDATE: New Retail Starts Slow but Market Robust, Marcus & Millichap Says

ORLANDO-Recession or not, retail markets in Orlando, Tampa and Lakeland-Winter Haven will survive in 2002 even as the region braces for more slowdowns in the tourism and construction industries, according to a new analysis by Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Brokerage Co. of Encino, CA.

“Central Florida will remain among the most attractive retail markets in the nation,” says Steven M. Ekovich, vice president/regional manager, Marcus & Millichap. The reason: Ongoing population and employment growth.

“Unlike many regions, Central Florida has the luxury of continued population growth without relying completely on job creation,” Ekovich says. “While the tourism industry has experienced some difficult times, the population shifts that have tilted the country to the south will continue to fuel the region’s economy.”